Everquest 2: Sentinel's Fate Preview

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We take a look at what the 6th expansion is all about.

By Nick Kolan

The folks at Sony Online Entertainment are currently gearing themselves up for the 6th expansion in their flagship MMO, Everquest II. Due out in stores on February 16, and digitally on February 23, Everquest II: Sentinel's Fate is going to push the franchise to areas unknown, while simultaneously returning to old territory.

Sentinel's Fate introduces two new overworld zones – both quite large – which old school Everquest players will recognize immediately. Though the names may have changed, The Sundered Frontier and Stonebrunt Highlands are both parts of the continent of Odus, which was once the starting zone for the Erudite race. The continent, which was previously swallowed up in the Void, has been pushed back into Norrath and will be the final chapter in the current Void saga. There will be over 400 quests that explore the history of Odus, and get players up to speed as to where it's been for the last 900 years. This new area is strictly for high-level players, and will provide the leveling grounds for players to raise their characters from the current level cap of 80 to the new cap of 90. Along with that come new alternative advancement abilities, providing extra avenues to focus your character's skills further, or branch them out.

The third tier of Vasty Deep. There are snake-women!

Sentinel's Fate will also have a total of twelve new dungeons – three of which will be raid-oriented. We got a preview of a few of them, such as the three wings of Vasty Deep, an underwater laboratory. The first wing is a noticeably colorful affair, but the second is surprisingly dark. Blood spatters the hallways, and the skeletons of dragons kept under glass hint at the twisted storyline that underpins the dungeon. The final wing takes you even further below the sea, into a subterranean (or is that suboceanic?) cavern, where spirits still dwell, and where the magicks that flow through Norrath – the world of EQ – have begun to seep through. Players will also be revisiting Erudin Library, where the Erudites of EQ1 originated. They're still there, sort of. They're just way angrier now. As for the raids, we've been promised they won't be anywhere near as cure-happy, which is to say, healers will no longer be mashing their buttons trying to remove a raid-full of debuffs. We've been assured that some of the bosses will require some very creative use of the abilities players have available to them.

There are also over 2000 weapons, armor and items being added to the game which, I'm told, is more than all of the currently existing weapons and armor combined.

This is all high-level character stuff, though. Lower level characters and new players will have to be content with the fact that Sentinel's Fate also comes with EQ2's previous five expansions, a couple of which do include lower-level content.

And finally, for those who don't feel like paying a single penny more than the subscription cost (take that, capitalist swine!), February 23 also marks the beginning of the new Player versus Player (PvP) content. Providing capture the flag, hold the fort, and hold the relic game-modes, the update will also include some of the most powerful gear in the game for players who climb the ranks of the PvP ladder, Initially, this too will be for high-level players, but SOE have plans to roll out lower brackets over the coming months.